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An international movement that encourages retired / semi-retired people to take part in lifelong learning activities for pleasure.
There are no prior qualifications, no exams and no degrees awarded.
October 2017 ISSUE 48
Sturminster Newton Newsletter
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THE COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN Vacant VICE CHAIRMAN Bridget Pyle
TREASURER Daphne Dee SECRETARY Angela Wallington
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Hazel Belben
GROUP COORDINATOR Andrew Rowden
SPEAKERS’ SECRETARY David Wingate
NEWSLETTER EDITOR Joy Boot & WEBSITE
COMMITTEE MEMBER Judy White
COMMITTEE MEMBER Carey Pearce
COMMITTEE MEMBER Vanessa Davidson
https://u3asites.org.uk/sturminster-newton
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sturminsternewtonU3A/
Third Age Trust: www.u3a.org.uk Registered Charity No: 288007 Sturminster Newton U3A Registration No: 771/750/0922
The wine appreciation group at their first meeting! Details on page 12
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Vice Chairman’s Report
O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stained With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my shady roof; there thou mayst rest, And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,
And all the daughters of the year shall dance! Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.
“The narrow bud opens her beauties to The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning, and Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve, Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather’d clouds strew flowers round her head.
“The spirits of the air live on the smells Of fruit; and Joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.” Thus sang the jolly Autumn as he sat;
Then rose, girded himself, and o’er the bleak Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load.
I just thought this poem by William Blake entitled 'To Autumn' rather summed up this time of year, especially in Dorset.
Looking to the future, and particularly Christmas, Daphne Dee has ordered a quantity of U3A diaries and hopefully they will be available at the October meeting, or you can contact her and reserve your diary now.
We have changed the date of the December meeting to a week earlier, i.e. 2nd Thursday in December, the 14th, as we felt it was really getting too near Christmas.
Bridget Pyle
DATE OF NEXT BI-MONTHLY MEETING
19th October Dorset Air Ambulance
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance will present a talk on their life-
saving work. They will give an insight into the work of their Critical
Care Team, explain how much the service costs to run, whilst
highlighting some of the things that people do to support them.
This is set to be an informative and enlightening opportunity for all
those who attend and one that should not be missed.
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STURMINSTER NEWTON U3A MEETINGS OPEN TO ALL
All meetings start at 3.15pm and are in the Bow Room of The Exchange.
The entry fee is £1 for members and £2 for guests, which includes tea/coffee and biscuits.
You don’t have to be a member of the U3A to attend. Everyone is welcome.
DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS 14th December (Please note change of Date) John Smith A Roman Soldier
2018 15th February Emily Utgren Gardener and Arborist at Stourhead Gardens
19th April David Boag Wildlife Photographer
21st June Francis Burroughes Glass
23rd August Suzanne Kempe New Forest Ponies
18th October Charles Minoprio Master of Wine
Unexpectedly available: TWO tickets to Salisbury Playhouse - A Murder is Announced (Agatha Christie) starring Louise Jameson - Saturday 14 October 2017 - Depart Sturminster Newton bus stop (top of Barnes Close) 10.30 am - usually return approximately 6.00 pm. If you would like either of these tickets please contact Carey Pearce 01258 475462 or e mail [email protected] - any payment would be a bonus but would prefer somebody else to enjoy the production.
GROUP COORDINATOR’S REPORT
01258 820840 email: [email protected]
It is always good to read the group leaders’ updates in the following pages, and to hear what members have been up to; thank you for your contributions. However, I do appreciate that it is not always easy to write something, especially for those groups where not a lot changes from one meeting until the next.
Please note that French and Line Dancing are looking for new leaders. I’m sure that members of these two groups will want to join me in thanking Angela and Wendy for all their effort and hard work since taking on these roles. Do contact me if you know of someone who might be interested in leading either of these groups.
However as some groups close others are formed! So, I am glad to report that the Wine Appreciation group met for the first time in September; and everyone had a really good time and went home happy, if not a little jolly! Also a new Skittles groups starts in October, which already seems to be very popular. If you have a burning desire to share a skill or interest and would like to lead a group please let me know.
As always, thank you to all group leaders for all the time, effort and hard work you put into running your group – it really is appreciated!
Andrew Rowden
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Astronomy John Savage 01258 473838 The first meeting of the new season was held on Monday 4th September. I talked about our experience of the “Great American Eclipse” which occurred on August 21st. The talk described planning for the trip to Oregon and finding a suitable viewing site, preparation of equipment used to take pictures and included a video of the experience.
The schedule for the next series of meetings has not been firmed up yet – a proposal has gone out to existing group members for ratification or possible amendment.
If you would like to join, or just get some information, please contact me on the above number or email [email protected]
Corona
Eye in the sky
Partial
Prominences
Book Club (1) Brenda Stables 01258 471487 In September we sadly said goodbye to our Group Leader, Heather Fullarton, as she retired from this role. Heather has ably led us since 2009 and we thank her for all her hard work.
Our group has just been reading Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie. This proved a challenge to read in a month and only one of us managed to finish it! Hopefully our next book, Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson, will be an easier read.
Book Club (2) Ines Somerville 01258 471788 We are just getting back after our summer break - so many places to visit, so many super family get-togethers, so many celebrations, and hardly time to read a book! We met in September to discuss Poppy Adams's 'The Behaviour of Moths', which, for a first novel, is a real gem. A delight to read, with gothic undertones, which gently lead the unsuspecting reader to a superbly understated, shocking, conclusion. Highly recommended!
Our book for October will be Peter Carey's 'The Chemistry of Tears', an intriguing and, as we would expect, brilliantly written novel which I hope will give rise to some thoughtful discussion.
We would welcome another reader to our group, so if you are interested, do contact me.
Boules Joy Boot 01963 250507 We are coming to the end of our playing season as the evenings are drawing in and it’s getting a little chilly! However I’m hoping for an Indian Summer so that we can at least carry on until the clocks change.
Canasta Audrey Groves 01258 471242 Ten of us had a very enjoyable afternoon last month and we are looking forward to the October meeting. Please feel free to contact me if you are thinking of joining. If you haven't played Canasta for years I can arrange a refresher game.
Cribbage Hazel Belben 01258 473934 If you are interested in playing cribbage come along and try it, plenty of help if needed. Our October meeting is on the 23rd and November is on 27th at 2 pm.
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Digital Photography Angela Wallington 01258 475255 The members of our photography group have been busily honing their skills in preparation for our new project upon which we are embarking this autumn. To this end some of us spent a pleasant summer’s morning at Alners’ Gorse butterfly reserve and although one might say that the butterflies were, in truth, as conspicuous by their absence as that infamous Scarlet Pimpernel, we were lucky enough to spy some splendid dragon flies in this most Hardyesque of settings; one could almost expect to catch a glimpse of the ill-fated Giles Winterborne pondering his misfortunes among this woodland setting.
Suffice to say then that we have been busy and hope to enjoy a masterclass at our October meeting on the subject of 'night photography'. This will surely help us with our up-coming project, news of which will be divulged soon, this is something, which we hope we will receive enthusiastic support from our fellow U3A members to make it the success that it deserves to be. History Jill Curtis 01258 475427 We have now started meeting at our new venue at Reddleman House. Pat Ager has given us a wonderful incite into the start of the Penny Post and the hazardous conditions which the early ‘posties’ had to contend with. Next time we will be looking into the start of the Royal Mail. At a future session, Maggie Peers will be telling us about early 19th century Composers.
Keep fit Audrey Groves 01258 471242 Most of the holidays are over and the Group is getting back into 'full swing'. We have spaces for 2 more.
Knit & Craft Hazel Belben 01258 473934 Come and enjoy an afternoon of crafting of your own choice, it’s interesting to see what other people are doing and we can learn from each other. Meetings are on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at 2 pm.
Line Dancing Wendy Benton 01258 475608 Although there have been some weeks over the summer where the numbers have dropped, the group remains a happy bunch. We have learnt some new dances recently which has kept us ‘on our toes’ so to speak. Lots of fun and laughter can be heard from the Chivrick Room of The Exchange on a Tuesday afternoon. Why not come and have a go! Sadly, I have to report that, due to personal reasons and my caring duties, I am going to have to give up leading the group. Can anyone please help us to keep this going? Please give me a call.
Luncheon Club (Tuesday) Anne Harding 01258 473649 For our August lunch we went to The Ship at West Stour and in September to the White Horse at Stourpaine, two of our favourites. This month it will be at The Kings Arms at East Stour Common. I have booked our Christmas lunch at The Coppleridge Inn at Motcombe. We are hoping to try Thyme after Time in November.
Mahjong Hazel Belben 01258 473934 Our group continues to be a great success, everyone is keen and enjoys the game. Come and give it a try, we meet on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month at 2pm.
Opera Appreciation Muriel Moss 01258 473852 Our new season has kicked off with a viewing of Zeffirelli's Met production of Turandot. This was Puccini's final opera and has some of the finest operatic music ever written; Nessan Dorma being the ultimate aria for all tenor singers. With the Autumn programme being supported by the promise of interesting speakers, we look forward to concentrating on the works of Puccini. New members are always welcome or, if you are unsure if it is for you, why not come as a guest to sample the goods.
Play Reading & Drama Bridget Pyle 01258 475378 Group 1: Our latest two plays read have been Midsummer Nights Dream; Shakespeare of course, and The Woman In White, a most interesting drama - not a ghost story as we thought it might be. We are full, but there is only one person on the waiting list, so if you want to add your name, please contact me.
Play Reading & Drama Hazel Belben 01258 473934 Group 2: We have two plays lined up to read, the first one is Daisy Pulls it Off by Denise Deegan, and the second one is A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney. We have room for more members; if you think this would be for you, come and join us.
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Skittles David Wingate 01258 471903 After two resounding wins against Blandford U3A, some of our members suggested that a skittles group could be a popular addition to our portfolio.
The new licensees at The Old Ox Inn in Shillingstone are keen to accommodate us, and we will be having some trial evenings (starting Thursday 19th October) during the run-up to Christmas. If the evenings are successful, we hope to arrange regular slots next year.
Interest so far has been incredible, to the extent that we will struggle to fit other members in.
Social Bridge Maggie Peers 01258 472253 We now have 7 members, and another 2 may be joining us very shortly. That will mean we can have 2 tables! However, we would still be pleased to see some more new members to allow for absences. We aim to meet on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month, at 10.00 a.m. at members’ houses. The next few meetings are scheduled as follows: 13 October; 27 October (possibly); 10 November; 24 November We are a friendly and informal group, so if you are interested in coming to try us out, please do contact me.
Theatre Visits Ines Somerville 01258 471788 Our autumn / winter season started with a beautifully staged and directed production of Harold Pinter's 'Betrayal'. This is a play which lays bare the layers of betrayal in two marriages, intricately linked; truly, what a tangled web we weave!
Pinter's masterly dialogue was clearly and intelligently presented by three excellent actors for this Salisbury Playhouse Production, and reminded us of the amazing calibre of our regional actors - a delightful Italian waiter gave a superb cameo performance too!
Our next three visits are fully subscribed, but we often have returns nearer the time, so should you be interested in joining this thriving, friendly group, then let me have your details.
Ukulele Andrew Rowden 01258 820840 Numbers have remained steady - despite losing one or two, others have joined us. We are increasing our repertoire (now 16 songs!) and are becoming increasingly proficient at forming and playing the more challenging chords. We sing songs mainly from the 50s onwards – we’re not quite ready for Ed Sheran or Adele yet! Next month we will start practising some Christmas songs!
Walking Karine Litton 01258 471968 After an August summer break we started September with a 6 mile walk starting at the Church in Okeford Fitzpaine with a good number of walkers. In lovely weather, a hard climb up the hill with the most wonderful views, we then had an easy walk over the hill and through the woods, a bit muddy but good then a walk back down, again with spectacular views.
The Autumn walks will include Stourhead for the colours, and the coast for the bracing sea air. New members very welcome.
Wine Appreciation Charles Minoprio 01258 471538 We had our first meeting at Chaselands, Lydlinch with 7 members present. The wines were from Chile; we tasted Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot - all classic French grapes but grown in the much easier climate and conditions of Chile. Sadly Elizabeth I would not allow us to colonise them - no money!
The wines all showed well - this is by no means a certainty at tastings - and were typical of their grapes. Looking forward, we are aiming at the 3rd Wednesday in the month and so the next tasting will be on 18th October at 4pm. This will be a German wine and in particular the different styles of Riesling, perhaps the greatest white grape of them all.
Yoga Ines Somerville 01258 471788 After a slow start to the autumn term, with members still holidaying, we are up to our full quota. As ever, I am happy to have your details should places become available; only by being on the waiting list can you be contacted.
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Group Leaders - Check your Kitty!
The old pound coin ceases to be legal tender in October so if you hold any petty cash, check that there are no old pound coins in it.
One day a cop pulls a van over and when he walks up to the window he sees ten penguins in the back.
The cop asks the man "Are those your penguins?”
The man says "Yes, they are my pets."
The cop replies to the man "You need to take them to the zoo right now."
So the man agrees and drives off. The next day the cop pulls over the same van and he walks up to the window and sees the ten penguins all wearing sunglasses.
The cop says to the man "I thought I told you to take those penguins to the zoo."
The man says "I did, today we are going to the beach!”
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Brain Exercise!
Fill the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3 x 3 block contain all of the digits 1 - 9.
Solution in the next edition!
Sudoku #6 SolutionHow did you get on?! Did you find it easy or hard….let me know!
Two old men, Fred and Bill, have been friends all of their lives. When it's clear that Bill is dying, Fred visits him every day. One day Fred says, "Bill, we both loved rugby all our lives, and we played rugby on Saturdays together for so many years. Please do me one favour, when you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there's rugby there."
Bill looks up at Fred from his deathbed, "Fred, you've been my best friend for many years. If it's at all possible, I'll do this favour for you."
Shortly after that, Bill passes away.
At midnight a couple of nights later, Fred is awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to him, “Fred……Fred.”
"Who is it?" asks Fred sitting up suddenly. "Who is it?"
“Fred……it’s me, Bill."
"You're not Bill. Bill just died."
"I'm telling you, it's me, Bill," insists the voice.
"Bill! Where are you?"
"In heaven," replies Bill. "I have some really good news and a little bad news."
"Tell me the good news first," says Fred.
"The good news," Bill says, "Is that there IS rugby in heaven. Better yet, all of our old friends who died before us are here, too. Better even than that, we're all young again, it’s always springtime and it never rains or snows. And, best of all, we can play rugby all we want and we never get tired.""That's fantastic," says Fred. "It's beyond my wildest dreams! So what's the bad news?" "You're in the team for this Saturday."
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And Finally…….!Please go to our website where you will be able to contact any of our committee
or group leaders. Do let us know if you have any suggestions for new groups; ideas that you would like to share or if you would like to run a group.
https://u3asites.org.uk/sturminster-newton
Monday Weekly 1st Monday 2nd Monday 3rd Monday 4th Monday
2pm Mahjong 2pm Mahjong 2pm Cribbage
2.15pm Play Reading Group 1
2.15pm Play Reading Group 1
7pm Astronomy
Tuesday Weekly 1st Tuesday 2nd Tuesday 3rd Tuesday 4th Tuesday
3pm Line Dancing
2pm Play Reading Group 2 Lunch Club 2pm Play
Reading Group 2
Garden Croquet Summer Only
2.30pm Book Club 1
2.30pm Our World
2.30pm Coffee & Conversation
Wednesday Weekly
1st Wednesday 2nd Wednesday 3rd Wednesday 4th Wednesday
10am Yoga 10.30am French 10am Ukulele 10.30am French 10am Ukulele
2pm Scrabble 3.15pm Opera Appreciation 2pm Scrabble
4pm Wine Appreciation
2.30pm Book Club 2
Thursday Weekly
1st Thursday 2nd Thursday 3rd Thursday 4th Thursday
10am Keep Fit Lunch Club 10.30am History 10.30am History
6pm Boules Summer Only
Friday Weekly 1st Friday 2nd Friday 3rd Friday 4th Friday
10am Spanish 2pm Knit & Craft 10am Digital Photography 2pm Knit & Craft
Additional Groups that do not meet on set days or times:
Bridge Canasta Outings Skittles Theatre Visits Walking
Please do contact me if you have any ideas, suggestions or comments you'd like to share in future editions of our newsletter.
The newsletter is published in February, April, June, August, October and December each year, so if you have an article for publication in the
December 2017 edition, please submit it to me by email at [email protected] or phone: 01963 250507
by the 24th November Thank you! Joy
